2016-2017 School Year Report

BalayniCharie visited these elementary schools in Capiz and gave school supplies to the students enrolled there:

The school year in most schools in the Philippines begins in June and usually ends in March or early April. 

July 2016 - Balaring Elementary School in Ivisan

July 2016 - Day Care Center in Pontevedra

August 2016 - Ameligan Elementary School in Pontevedra

August 2016 - Sibaguan Elementary School in Roxas City

September 2016 - Malonoy Elementary School in Dao

October 2016 - Lawis Day Care and Culasi Day Care (at the nipa hut)

January 2017 - Juan Aldea Elementary School in Sigma

January 2017 - Balaring Elementary School in Ivisan

BalayniCharie also gave books to the library of Juan Aldea Elementary School in cooperation with the Monique AlbarJen Rice and Shoes Program.

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Images by TravelswithCharie

Our work continues - 11th year

Balaring Elementary School

Wrapping up our 10th Season

    Manhoy Elementary School 

Happy New Year!

Linambasan Elementary School in Jamindan

I am very happy to report that Balay ni Charie will be celebrating its 10th year of giving school supplies to the children of Capiz this year, 2015. Last year was a banner year for Balay ni Charie. Over 2000 students in grade schools in the towns of Agoho, Dao, Jamindan, Sapian, Tapaz, and Roxas City were given school supplies.

These are the schools where we distributed school supplies in 2014:

Agsilab Elementary Schol in Sapian

Malonoy Elem. School in Dao

Ilas Norte Elem. School in Dao

Lacaron Elemtary School in Dao

Garcia Elem. School in Tapaz

Carida Elem. School in Tapaz (limited to 3 classes)

Agoho Elem. School in Pan-ay

Linambasan Elem. School in Jamindan

Francisco Vacaro Elem. School in Jamindan

Conrado Barrios Elem. School in Roxas City (limited to 5th and 6th grades)

Central Elem. School in Dao (limited to box of 400 pencils)

Members of Dao Freedom Football Academy (20 Students)

Garcia Elementary School in Tapaz

We hope to reach as many number of students if not more in 2015. Students receive notebooks, pens and pencils. We also have contests for the kids so they can earn backpacks, toys, coloring books and crayons, t-shirts and pencil cases. These contests consist of questions in spelling, math or history. The kids love this Q&A portion and they often swoon when a classmate receives a prize. 

Francisco Vacaro Elementary School in Barangay Arambulong

We're grateful for the generosity of friends and family. We are able to spread our wings because of them. If you wish to help Balay ni Charie, please email me at ralbar@yahoo.com. 

Conrado Barrios Elem. School, Roxas City

For it is in giving that we receive.  St. Francis of Assisi

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Images by TravelswithCharie

Merry Christmas

2014 was a fruitful year for Balay ni Charie. We reached out to 11 elementary schools in Capiz including Roxas City, Sapian, Dao, Tapaz and Pan-ay. Many thanks to our generous supporters. We are excited to celebrate our 10th year of giving school supplies to schoolchildren in Capiz in 2015.

Wishing all of you the blessings of peace, love and joy this Christmas and throughout the new year.

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Image by TravelswithCharie

At Lacaron Elementary School

Lacaron Elementary School

Continuing with our school distribution program, we went to Lacaron Elementary School in Dao, Capiz last July and reached out to approximately 240 children. The last time we were in Lacaron was in December 2011. It was really nice to be able to revisit Lacaron this year. 

Typical of July weather, it was a hot and humid day and we stayed outdoors under the UNICEF donated tent classroom. With the school principal, Milagros Jore Derayo, we gave each of the children notebooks, pens and pencils. Some kids took home prizes like crayons, toys, pencil cases, coloring books and more school supplies for giving the correct answer to our math, spelling and history questions. Here are the young students raising their hands to answer a particular question we posed to them.

The little ones are sometimes shy but generally eager to answer our questions. They are always excited to receive a prize. Everyone gets involved including teachers and parents who prod their children along to raise their hand and answer our questions.

Balay ni Charie is now on its 9th year and we are really excited as we get closer to our 10th year. A milestone for us! We hope to reach many more schools in the province of Capiz between now and 2015.

We thank our generous donors - Bock Loo, Nieva Burdick, Leda Albar, Monike Alberjeun, Ray Wong, Deborah Bartens, Rose Driscoll and many others who have helped us since our early years. We hope there will be more people who will join us in giving the children the tools they need to succed in school.

I am encouraged by the word inscribed on the t-shirt of the boy in the center of the photo. It says: NEVER GIVE UP. That about sums it all up. 

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Images by TravelswithCharie

February 2014 Activities

First Grade classroom, Agsilab Elem. School

February was a hectic month for Balay ni Charie. We distributed school supplies in four elementary schools in Capiz. Our first stop was in Sapian at Agsilab Elementary School. 300 students received notebooks, pens and pencils from Balay ni Charie. At Agsilab, we saw first hand the damages wrought by super typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. In one building, three different grades had to share the same room. Blackboards were used to separate one class from the other. The ceiling was gouged out. In another classroom, a red plastic tarp keeps the children dry from the rains. The kindergarten and day care kids were installed at the barangay hall across the street as there were no classrooms available for them. The good news is that all the children were able to continue with their studies. And maybe the buildings will be repaired during the summer break.

Agsilab Elementary School

Our next stop was at Agoho Elementary School in Pan-ay which is right on the beach. It has the most beautiful setting of all the schools but vulnerable to storm surges and flooding. I would have a hard time concentrating on learning anything if I were one of the students here because I would probably be gazing out the window or be distracted by the calming sounds of the sea. 290 children received school supplies at this school. We happily observed the work on the roofs of the buildings. Fortunately, the school received much needed help for repairs from a Christian group from Texas, USA.

Agoho Elementary School

Nieva Burdick and her friends and family sent a generous contribution of school supplies to Balay ni Charie. She shipped these supplies and t-shirts from New York in December 2013 and it was delivered in Roxas City in February 2014. This helped us immensely so we could reach out to two more schools - Malonoy Elementary School and Ilas Norte, both in Dao, Capiz. I was quite impressed with how the Principal, the teachers and the parents of the students at Malonoy Elementary School worked together to make all the necessary repairs to the classrooms damaged by the typhoon. What a herculean effort on their part to pick up the pieces and put everything back together in record time! Bravo!

Malonoy Elementary School

The sixth grade kids at Ilas Norte Elementary School received t-shirts and they were so excited to wear them. Here they are showing off their new tees.

Students at Ilas Norte Elementary School 

About 204 students in Malonoy and 295 schoolchildren at Ilas Norte Elementary School received school supplies. These distributions totaling 1,027 grade school students in Capiz were much needed replenishments after the super typhoon claimed all of the children's books and supplies. As Balay ni Charie, a grassroots foundation, enters its 9th year of service to the children of Capiz, it is grateful to all its generous supporters whose invaluable contributions allow it to reach out to more schools in the community.

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Images byBalayniCharie and TravelswithCharie 

Merry Christmas 2013

2013 was a busy year for Balay ni Charie. More than 750 children were given school supplies in Tapaz, Cuartero, Duyoc, and Culasi Day Care Center plus 20 football players from the Football Academy in Dao, Capiz.  

Culasi Day Care Center, Roxas City

Shortly after our distribution in Duyoc, Dao last October, super typhoon Haiyan made landfall on Panay island and left devastation in its wake. Most schools in Capiz were damaged and the kids need to go back to school but on top of losing their classrooms, they've also lost their school supplies which were either swept away or soaked by torrential rains and a flooded countryside. 

We're preparing to distribute more school supplies in late January 2014 to 1,500 grade school students in Capiz. Wish we could reach out to more kids and we could with your help. Please email travelswithcharie@gmail.com if you would like to help.

Many thanks to the following for their generous contributions for the 2014 distribution in Capiz: Terri Smith, Nieva Burdick, Rose Driscoll and Leda Albar. 

Have a Merry Christmas! 

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At Lacaron Elementary School in Dao, Capiz

It took a week for the floodwaters to subside so we could get to Lacaron Elementary School in Dao. The roads were muddy and slippery in some areas and thanks to our driver we got there safely.

The children were well behaved and quiet. They each received a notebook and pens from Balay ni Charie. They were a little shy raising their hands when I asked them to spell some words and write them on the blackboard. But they were all delighted with the prizes for each correct spelling - crayons, scissors, sharpeners, pencil cases with pens, pencils, erasers, and rulers. First graders were asked to spell boy, girl, cat and jam. Third graders were asked to spell family, friends and school. Fifth and sixth graders were asked to spell Philippines or Republic of the Philippines.  It was delightful to see the focus every child gave to the word they were asked to spell.

Teachers and staff at Lacaron Elementary School

The teachers treated us to early lunch with adobo, soup, balut and kutshinta (a Pilipino "kakanin" and a specialty of Lacaron). We were famished after distributing school supplies to about 250 children. But it went smoothly, thanks to the principal and teachers for facilitating the event.

I am grateful to all the people who donated school supplies and who continue to support Balay ni Charie including Diana Acas and her family and friends, Rosemary Driscoll, Leda Albar, Ditas Fuentes, Ray Wong and Bock Loo.

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Images by Charie

Sewing Machines for the Home Economics Class

Dao Central Elementary School

Last July when I was distributing school supplies in Ilas Norte in Dao, Capiz, one of the teachers from Dao Central School asked me to donate a sewing machine for her Home Economics class. I had a portable sewing machine at home which I had never used so I promised to give her that machine.

But as luck would have it, I received a generous donation from Diana Acas and her family and friends so I was able to get a manual Singer sewing machine for the kids to use in class. Prior to receiving this sewing machine, the kids were shown photos of a sewing machine to learn its parts. They never had hands on training. Until now.

These kids attended the turnover ceremony prepared by Mrs. Rose Dalid and other teachers at Dao Central School. They are the students from the Home Economics class under Mrs. Dalid.

My donors and I believe that learning a craft or trade will benefit these children who may not otherwise be able to continue through high school. At the very least, they will learn to sew for themselves and hopefully help them make a living.

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Images by Charie

Back in Ilas Norte Elementary School in Dao, Capiz

6th Grade students at Ilas Norte 

After two years since we last visited Ilas Norte Elementary School in Dao, Capiz, I went back to distribute school supplies last June, the beginning of the 2011 school year. Some 348 children from Kindergarten to 6th grade received notebooks, pens, pencils, and crayons. I  also conducted a spelling and math contest at each class and gave away pencil cases, colored pencils, project folders, erasers and pencil sharpeners to the winners.

Ilas Norte Elementary School

Thanks to Ray Wong for  his most  generous donation, Balay ni Charie was able to give school supplies to all the students.

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Images by  Charie

Balay ni Charie in Dao, Capiz

With the help of friends we visited three schools in the barangay of Ilas in Dao, Capiz. We were able to give school supplies to some 123 children in the third and fourth grades.

The road to Ilas is partially unpaved and narrow. At some point we had to get off the car and walk a half mile along a muddy stretch of road with potholes. We had mud in our shoes and clothes. But it was well worth it when the kids came up to us to say "Thank you".

I would like to thank the Dalid family - Clay, Wilson, Rose and Rene who facilitated our visit to Ilas Norte, Ilas Sur and Centro Primary School. Bless you all.


Wish we could have reached out to more students especially since we heard some kids from other grades asking where their school supplies were. That was heartwrenching.

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Photos by Charie